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Bush Deflects Questions on C.I.A. Tapes

WASHINGTON — President Bush deflected questions on Thursday about the destruction of C.I.A. interrogation tapes, saying that he will withhold comment until investigations into the affair are complete.

The president, fencing good-naturedly with reporters at a White House news conference, parried a question that suggested there was ambiguity in his earlier statements that he had no recollection about the existence or destruction of the tapes.

Nor would the president respond directly when asked whether he thought the C.I.A.’s 2005 destruction of the videotapes showing harsh questioning of two suspected terrorists was “the responsible thing to do.”

The president said he was confident that inquiries being started by Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey, by the C.I.A.’s own inspector general’s office and in Congress “will end up enabling us all to find out what exactly happened.”

“And, therefore, over the course of these inquiries and oversight hearings, I’m going to reserve judgment until I find out the full facts,” Mr. Bush said. “I know I’m going to be asked about this question a lot as time goes by. I’m just going to prepare you. Until these inquiries are complete, until the oversight’s finished, then I will be rendering no opinion from podium.”

Mr. Bush volunteered his views on a range of issues. He praised Congress for passing “a good energy bill” and acting to protect millions of Americans from being caught up in the alternative minimum tax, but he said the lawmakers had taken too long to get things done. And he expressed disappointment that Congress has yet to enact an intelligence-surveillance bill, one that he said should protect telecommunications companies from lawsuits over eavesdropping.

The recently disclosed destruction by the C.I.A. of the interrogation videotapes is the latest controversy over the Bush administration’s anti-terrorism policies. Critics of the administration, including Democrats who control both Houses of Congress, have wondered aloud whether the destruction of the tapes indicated that the C.I.A. had something to hide.

The furor was intensified when it was revealed that top White House lawyers took part in discussions between 2003 and 2005 about whether the tapes ought to be destroyed.

Only a few minutes went by at Thursday morning’s news conference before the subject of the tapes was raised again, this time by a questioner who asked the president whether he was concerned that the episode would raise “questions from people around the world” about how the United States treats terrorism suspects.

“You know, you’re trying to get me to prejudge the outcome of this inquiry,” Mr. Bush said. “Let’s wait and see what the facts are.”

As for America’s image in the world, Mr. Bush said, “I’m not surprised we get criticized on a variety of fronts. And you know, on the other hand, most people like to come to our country, and most people love what America stands for.

“And so, it’s like I said about the presidency,” Mr. Bush went on. “People in America, you know, like the presidency, and sometimes they like the president. Get it?”

On international issues, the president assailed the Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, in unusually forceful tones, only weeks after U.S. officials had portrayed the presence of a Syrian delegation at Middle East peace talks as a sign of a possibly positive turn.

Photo

U.S. President George W. Bush holds a news conference in the press briefing room at the White House in Washington December 20, 2007. Credit
Larry Downing/Reuters

“My patience ran out on President Assad a long time ago,” Mr. Bush said. “And the reason why is because he houses Hamas, he facilitates Hezbollah, suiciders go from his country into Iraq, and he destabilizes Lebanon.

“And so, if he’s listening, he doesn’t need a phone call, he knows exactly what my position is.”

The harsh comments about Mr. Assad, and his support for two groups deemed terrorists by the U.S. government, came just weeks before Mr. Bush is to travel to the region for talks aimed at moving Middle East peace forward. Succeeding will be more difficult without some level of Syrian cooperation.

Mr. Bush declined a chance to criticize some NATO allies for restricting their military contributions in Afghanistan. “I’ve only got praise for them,” he said, expressing none of the frustration some American officials have privately conveyed. The major United States review of strategy in Afghanistan now under way only makes sense, he said.

Asked about Time magazine’s naming of President Vladimir Putin as its “Person of the Year,” Mr. Bush said he supposed that was because the controversial Russian was deemed “a consequential leader.” But Mr. Bush also said he would take a “wait and see” approach as Mr. Putin leaves the presidency, presumably in the hands of a close associate.

And he again defended the Iraqi government from critics who say that it has failed to seize the opportunity provided by improved security conditions to achieve the reconciliation goals laid out long ago.

“Are we satisfied with progress in Baghdad? No. But to say nothing’s happening just isn’t the case,” he said. “If you trying to judge the Iraqi Parliament based upon our own Congress’s ability to get things done — is that what you’re saying? — I’d be a little careful.”

Asked about foreign investments in the United States that have soared with the fall of the dollar, like the announced sale by Morgan Stanley of a $5 billion stake to a Chinese investment fund, the president said he had no reservations whatsoever.

“I’m fine with capital coming in from overseas to help bolster financial institutions,” he said. “Protectionism would be a huge mistake for this country.”

The president’s comments on Syria followed a question about his upcoming trip. From Jan. 8 to 16, he is to visit Israel, the West Bank, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and three Gulf capitals.

Mr. Bush has often been critical of Syria, but his tone Thursday was strikingly sharp, given the efforts connected to the Annapolis peace conference, to treat Syrian participation as a hopeful augur.

But the president appeared distressed over the instability and recurring violence roiling Lebanon, for which Syria is considered partly responsible.

“Syria needs to stay out of Lebanon,” he said. “Syria needs to let the process in Lebanon work.”

His words appeared to echo comments made a day earlier by President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, who was quoted as saying he had “reached the end of the road with Assad.” The United States and France have cooperated closely on Lebanon.

Lebanon has been without a president for weeks. Mr. Bush said that if power-sharing talks between Lebanese factions continued to fall short, the country should elect a new president by a simple majority vote, a sharp departure from a system meant to strike a delicate balance between the country’s Christian, Shiite Muslim, Sunni Muslim and Druze peoples.

On Dec. 12, a powerful car bomb killed a top Lebanese army officer, Brigadier General Francois al-Hajj, in a Beirut suburb, striking a blow at the country’s respected military. Some anti-Syrian politicians blamed Damascus, saying it was the latest in a series of Syrian-linked political assassinations, but officials in Damascus denied having had any role.